"The Tour of California has to expand," Santa Rosa's Levi Leipheimer said. "It's to the point it has such a foothold that it could go up against some of the premier races in Europe, if they (race organizers) want to step up. Running it during May-June would be perfect."

UCI president Pat McQuaid accused the organizers of the Tour de France and Paris-Nice of trying to "buy up" cycling's major events.

The Amaury Sports Organization, which owns both events, said Tuesday that the Paris-Nice race will go ahead next month under its own rules despite opposition from the International Cycling Union, which has asked teams to boycott the season's first significant stage race.

Cycling's governing body the International Cycling Union (UCI) suffered a grievous blow to their authority on Wednesday as the professional teams signed up for the first major stage race of the season the Paris-Nice defied them and agreed to compete in it.

Pat McQuaid, president of the UCI, had called on the teams to boycott the race as part of his body's ongoing dispute with the race's parent company ASO (Amaury Sports Organisation) - also the organisers of the Tour de France.

UCI anti-doping chief Anne Gripper believes the defiance of Tour de France organizers in the dispute with world cycling's governing body could undermine anti-drug efforts.

Gripper also warned riders that despite there currently not being an effective test for human growth hormone, frozen serum could be analyzed and used as evidence for eight years in a doping investigation.

Continuing its commitment to the sport of cycling and clean competition, Rock Racing today announced plans for an aggressive internal team anti-doping program. This internal anti-doping initiative underscores Rock Racing's, and Team Owner Michael Ball's, willingness to take every measure to ensure that its members race clean and fair.

Forget the snow, it's time to start planning your summer of cycling. The TorontoÃ‹â€ Niagara Bike Train will be returning this year with an expanded schedule, more travel options, and some getaway package deals. Building on last summer's successful pilot program which saw dozens of cyclists and their bikes riding the train between Toronto and Niagara Falls on each of four weekends, the 2008 edition of the Bike Train spans eight weekends from late June through the end of September.

Eat an orange. Wear a face mask. Train elsewhere and fly in at the last possible moment to compete. These are some of the strategies suggested for Olympic athletes planning to compete in Beijing, where a thick cloud of smog often blankets one of the world's most polluted cities.